How to Meet the Right One
by Yemam2422
Summary: DL. Takes place preseason two. Lindsay has moved to New York and has no idea how an innocent Cosmo article will make her cross paths with Danny Messer in the most interesting of ways.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: The Cosmo article I reference is real. I borrowed the title of the article (and story), the intro paragraph that Lindsay reads and the hot spots from Cosmo. Disclaimer: CBS owns CSI NY, etc.

Thanks to **mel60** for the wonderful beta-help and thanks for reading!

* * *

"Lindsay!" A thick New York accent clearly made its way from the other side of Lindsay's apartment door and she immediately recognized her neighbor's voice. Shelly North lived across the hall and had become Lindsay's instant friend ever since Lindsay moved to New York two months ago. 

Lindsay's decision to move to New York had been an exciting and scary one and although she wasn't scheduled to start her new position at the New York crime lab until early September she decided to move in July to find an apartment, get settled and become familiar with her new home. Time had flown by and Lindsay couldn't believe she would be starting her new job in just a couple of weeks.

Shelly had been a major reason for making Lindsay's transition into her new life almost seamless. Shelly had given her advice on everything New York – from landlords to restaurants to the subway system. She'd helped her unpack and Lindsay was already completely settled into her new apartment. Though her one-bedroom was small, and she was still adjusting to having her kitchen in her living room, it was comfortable and she already considered it home. In many ways Shelly fit Lindsay's stereotype of New Yorkers. She was tough, a ball of energy, assertive, loud. But she had also surprised Lindsay with her thoughtfulness.

"Hey Shelly," Lindsay opened the door and greeted her neighbor. "What's going on?"

"Check this out." Lindsay barely caught the magazine Shelly tossed to her as she made her way into the apartment and threw herself onto the living room couch. Lindsay looked down at the most recent issue of Cosmo Magazine with Halle Berry on the cover.

"What exactly am I checking out? Nine Erotic Tips to Rock His World or Beat the Heat Beauty?"

"Bottom right corner," Shelly clarified.

"How to Meet the Right One," Lindsay read the blurb in bright pink block letters. Lindsay never appreciated these magazines and always laughed at the hokey headlines and airbrushed celebrities plastered on their covers.

"Open to page seventy-two," Shelly instructed.

Lindsay flipped through make up tips, fashion dos and don'ts and embarrassing stories to finally settle on the article that had excited Shelly. She skimmed the introductory paragraph. _As you probably well know, man hunting can be an enjoyable but sometimes challenging enterprise. That's why, if you want to find guys, you have to go where tons of them gather. Cosmo scouted out the top locations men can be found these days -- whether you're looking for a fun fling or a long-term relationship_. The article went on to list several man hunting hot spots.

"Oookay. What's so exciting about this?" Lindsay questioned.

"I'm going to go on a manhunt and I need you to be my wing woman," Shelly answered matter-of-factly.

"Wing what?"

"Wing woman. I'm going to visit all those hot spots. The article says you can't go with a big group of girls and risk seeming unapproachable. So in order to not go alone but still appear available I need you to come with me."

"Shelly, I love you to death but don't you think this is a bit juvenile?" It also seemed unnecessary. Shelly was one of the more beautiful women Lindsay knew - tall, long black hair, olive complexion, green eyes - and never seemed to have trouble meeting guys based on the number of them Lindsay witnessed knocking on her door to pick her up for a date.

"No way. This is just what I need. I'm bored of going to the same places, the same bars, with the same people saying the same thing. How am I ever going to find Mr. Right if I don't broaden my horizons? Seven hot spots in seven days. That's my plan."

"And you expect to find Mr. Right and live happily ever after at the end of the week?"

"No, but I plan to meet a few new people. Hopefully there will be plenty of sexy studs and I'm sure there will be plenty of losers. But that's what you're there for. If a total sleaze ball starts chatting me up, you interfere, I politely excuse myself and move on."

"I see." Lindsay considered her friend's plan, as ridiculous as it seemed. There was no stopping Shelly when she put her mind to something. Plus, Shelly had been nothing but helpful the two months Lindsay had known her so it was nice to finally be able to return a favor, even if it meant being a wing woman. "Alright, I'm in."

"Great!" Shelly said as she jumped off the couch and headed to the door. "Hot spot number one is The Apple Store. Perfect timing if you ask me. With the new iPhone being released the store should be packed. We'll go after I get home from work tomorrow."

"How will we know if you've met Mr. Right?"

"Women always know, from the beginning."

"I don't. I don't think you can know that quickly."

"Well you at least know if you're attracted to someone, right? There's that moment that makes you wonder about a guy – makes you want to get near him and think about what kind of kisser he is. Tomorrow we start our quest to find that guy."

Lindsay couldn't help but smile at her friend's enthusiasm. "Okay, I'll see you then. Bye."

"Ciao," Shelly said as she exited Lindsay's apartment with a sense of triumph. Her ruse had worked. Getting Lindsay to be her wing woman was just her excuse to get Lindsay to meet new people in New York - new men specifically. Had Lindsay refused, Shelly would have found some way to get her out – even if it meant dragging her kicking and screaming out the door.

She'd liked Lindsay the instant she met her. Despite her country upbringing she was far from old-fashioned. Lindsay was fun, intelligent, and a great person to hang out with. She'd already formed a good circle of friends but had yet to meet a decent guy. Shelly knew part of it was the every day struggles most women had to find Mr. Right. But as a psychiatric social worker for the state of New York, Shelly recognized the subconscious 'keep away' signals that Lindsay gave off whenever a guy approached her. Shelly wasn't sure what caused that behavior – a bad relationship in her past perhaps - but the Cosmo article had given Shelly a plan to remedy that situation and she was ready to put it into action. Hopefully by thinking she was just going along for the ride while Shelly went on her man hunt, Lindsay would loosen up and find her own Mr. Right.

* * *

"Ready?" Shelly asked as she and Lindsay entered at The Apple Store in Soho. Shelly had worn her best pair of jeans that showed off her legs and a new pair of red pumps. She was ready to find Mr. Right – or at least appear that she was. Lindsay, who still couldn't believe she was here, had been less concerned about her appearance. Her jeans, sandals and plain white t-shirt were casual but stylish. 

On the subway ride over Shelly had listed all the reasons Cosmo considered The Apple Store a hot spot - most guys are gadget lovers and the vibe at the store would be conducive to man-meeting because they could check their email among good looking guys, or strike up a conversation during a software workshop. Lindsay thought Cosmo's reasoning was fairly shallow but nodded encouragingly at her friend.

"Here we go," Shelly said as she shimmied her bottom and grinned over her shoulder as she crossed the store. Lindsay followed until they stopped at one of the many computer stations. Pretending to use one of the Macs, Shelly trained her eyes on the various customers, surveying them for a suitable guy for Lindsay. A mix of men and women, ranging from teenagers to adults, filled the sleekly designed store busily looking at various computers and gadgets.

"Ugh, there are no cute guys here. They're all kind of geeky." Shelly stated discouragingly after taking stock of the crowd.

"Geeks have their advantages," Lindsay said. "They usually have good jobs, and they treat you well."

"Have you ever dated one?"

"Well, no."

"I didn't think so. They don't seem to be your type. What is your type anyway?" Shelly asked.

When Lindsay didn't answer Shelly looked to her friend, but Lindsay was distracted. Shelly turned to see what had gotten Lindsay's attention and realized it was a 'who' not a 'what'.

Lindsay was staring at a man that had just entered the store. She remembered the conversation she had with Shelly yesterday about instant attraction and she was pretty sure she had never felt it as strongly as she had right then. He was average height, with short brown hair and striking blue eyes. He was devastatingly good looking in an untraditional way. His wire rim glasses contradicted the toughness that seemed to emanate from him. His form fitting green t-shirt clung nicely to his lean, muscular frame – letting there be no doubt that he had a great body. Had this been a movie Lindsay was sure he would have moved in slow motion.

_Well this is interesting_, Shelly thought. She had anticipated a decent amount of resistance in getting Lindsay to be open to the idea meeting more guys. But here she was practically drooling over this man. Shelly decided to act.

"I think I spotted a potential candidate," Shelly said to Lindsay.

"Hmmm?" Lindsay responded distractedly.

"Look at the tall, dark haired, blue-eyed hunk that just walked in," Shelly nodded towards the man that had walked in with Lindsay's object of desire.

"What about him?"

"I need you to be my wing woman. Go see if he has a ring, see if you can catch his name." Shelly wanted Lindsay to get close to her man and, once she had more information, take an appropriate next step. Before Lindsay could question her, Shelly lightly shoved Lindsay away from the computer.

Walking in what she hoped was a casual manner across the store Lindsay kept an eye on the blue-eyed stranger. She discretely hovered near the men pretending to examine an iPod. With a slightly closer look at the brown-haired one who was now joking around with the man he had walked in with, Lindsay realized it was no wonder her heart was doing cartwheels. His smile would make any woman's heart melt. After getting close enough to eavesdrop on a portion of their conversation and make a couple of necessary observations she made her way back to Shelly.

"No ring," she had reported when she reached her. "And he's called Flack." She'd also picked up that the other one was named Danny and that Flack was buying a new iPhone.

"Flack?" Shelly questioned. "That's an interesting name. It must be a nickname or maybe his last name."

Before she could put any more thought into her name versus surname debate Shelly's blackberry rang. Looking at the message that popped up in her inbox she tugged at Lindsay's arm.

"There's an emergency at work. We have to get going." Lindsay followed Shelly out of the store with one last glance to the handsome stranger. Smiling at herself, she dismissed her reaction to Danny as Shelly's Cosmo mumbo-jumbo messing with her head.

Shelly was reluctant to leave amidst Lindsay's interest in Flack's friend but at least Lindsay had shown interest in _someone_. Besides, there were thousands of men in New York and tomorrow's hot spot would surely be filled with plenty of good looking men.

* * *

According to Cosmo the majority of people pumping iron are men. That was why Lindsay found herself examining a list of available martial arts, boxing, jujitsu and boot-camp classes at New York Sports Club with Shelly. Lindsay frequented the gym often, but never before considered the myriad of muscle heads, clanging weights, and overpowering stench of sweat a fertile ground for meeting Mr. Right. 

After some deliberation, Shelly dragged Lindsay to the rock climbing wall. Apparently nearly two-thirds of wall climbers are male. Is this what dating had succumbed to, Lindsay wondered. Scouring gym classes for impressive guy-to-girl ratios? She shook her head at that notion.

"Shelly, this looks kind of scary," Lindsay said, eyeing the ceiling-high wall.

"Well, like the article says, if you want to find a great catch, you should venture outside of your comfort zone."

_Like the article says_, _like the article says_. That appeared to be Shelly's new mantra. Lindsay had lost count of how many times she'd heard it the past two days. Well, she was definitely out of her comfort zone, Lindsay thought, as the instructor awkwardly helped her into the safety harness. But she was always up for something new and ignored the fact that she was here for wing woman duties rather than her fitness.

Twenty minutes later, as Lindsay balanced at the top of the wall, she wondered exactly how this would help Shelly find a man. Their instructors had been female and the other climbers, some of whom were male, were more concerned with their ascent rather than flirting. Lindsay could hear her friend cursing under her breath as she struggled up the wall. Maybe Shelly would get hurt and a sexy EMT would come to her rescue.

"You doing alright Shell?" Lindsay asked as her friend swung haphazardly by her.

"Just fine."

"I'm going to hit the treadmill. Meet me down there."

"Okay. If I'm not there in ten minutes come rescue me from this death trap of ropes and fake rock."

"You got it." Lindsay laughed as her instructor lowered her to the ground. As she turned the corner to the treadmill section Lindsay froze in her tracks. There, in the middle of the weight room finishing a set on the bench press, was the iPod store guy. Danny. _Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God_, Lindsay said to herself. She immediately moved to the last row of treadmills before he saw her, afraid if he did he would somehow recognize her and think she was a crazed stalker.

From her vantage point she could still see him, and debated on what to do. He was an attractive, seemingly normal guy, so why not go up to him? And do what, Lindsay asked herself. Ask him out? Flirt and hope he asked her out?

"Is this treadmill being used?"

Lindsay turned to the older woman who'd hobbled onto the treadmill next to hers.

"Nope," Lindsay answered. "It's all yours." She turned back towards Danny who was now doing another set. Maybe she could ask to work in on the machine with him even though she'd never done a bench press in her life.

"I can't ever get these darn machines to work. Can you help me?"

Lindsay smiled at the woman and indicated which buttons to press to start a slow walk. By the time she turned back to continue observing Danny he was gone. She quickly looked around the weight room but didn't see him. It was probably for the best, Lindsay realized. She was practically reduced to a giggling teenager by the mere sight of this man, so lord knows how she'd manage an actual conversation. But it was pretty strange that she'd seen him twice in two days. Talk about coincidence.

"Why is it that the men with the least to offer are the most likely to hit on women?" Shelly asked as they exited the locker room thirty minutes later. The gym had not been the hot spot she'd anticipated. While they actually managed to have a couple of conversations with men this time none of them were Mr. Right material.

Lindsay had to rescue Shelly from a couple of conversations with men who appeared to have taken one too many doses of steroids – Shelly had barely kept a straight face when Lindsay feigned a debilitating cramp. Lindsay herself had been approached by a tall, older, slightly overweight man. Taking some of Shelly's advice to heart about being open to meeting new people she hadn't immediately brushed him off. From their brief conversation Lindsay learned he was a bartender at a local college hangout. Lindsay couldn't quite see herself dating a guy in his late thirties who spent his nights among drunken co-eds. Ambition and confidence were attractive, and this guy seemed to have neither. Lindsay was quiet for a moment, considering the perpetual adolescence of men.

"This really can't be as hopeless as it all seems." Shelly said.

"You can't force these things, Shell."

"Even if there is only one man who is Mr. Right, there's what, a million single men in New York? He's out there. We just have to find him."

And tomorrow's hot spot would certainly be their most interesting locale so far in her effort to do just that.

* * *

Lindsay nervously looked at her watch. 7:00 p.m. Shelly was supposed to be meeting her here any moment. Here being the New York headquarters of the Save Darfur Coalition. Lindsay felt a bit out of her element and couldn't wait until Shelly arrived. While Lindsay knew the coalition was dedicated to ending genocide, she was ashamed to admit that she was more familiar with the celebrities who supported the cause rather than the cause itself. Hopefully this would be a good learning experience in addition to man hunting opportunity number three for Shelly. 

While the Cosmo article had said any human rights or political organization would do, Shelly was convinced this coalition's "Get Involved" night would be chock full of smart, passionate men who would be fired up and ready for a love connection.

"Why did I let you talk me into this again?" Lindsay asked when Shelly finally walked up to her, and they entered the building.

"We need new experiences, remember?"

"This doesn't seem exactly conducive to meeting someone." The room they had been ushered to was crowded and bustling with activity - love connections seemingly the last thing on anyone's mind.

"Well it is," Shelly insisted. "Obviously everyone here has something in common from the start and we can bond over stories of triumphing over The Man." Lindsay shook her head at her friend. She was pretty sure Shelly had never j-walked let alone rebelled against 'the man'.

The finally found two seats at a table where they were assigned to stuffing envelopes. After an hour of folding, inserting, sealing, stamping and chatting with their table mates, none of whom appeared to be eligible bachelors, a man addressed the audience over a mega-phone, firing up the audience and encouraging everyone to attend the upcoming rallies, roundtables, and concerts. He ended to a round of cheers that Lindsay and Shelly joined.

"He's not so bad," Shelly said about the announcer. "Or how bout that guy?" pointing to a man at the table across from theirs. "Is he wearing a wedding ring?"

Lindsay was afraid Shelly would make her way around the entire room. "Men can sense desperation. Or did Cosmo leave that part out?"

"I'm not desperate. Just organized." And Lindsay would thank her for it after she had a date or two because of her efforts.

"You're starting to scare me, you know that?"

"Hey, don't hate on me just because you're anti-dating for some unknown reason."

"I'm not against dating. I just don't feel the pressure you do. Plus, dating is hard work. Look at all the time you've taken to find someone you're willing to get to know, all the bad dates you'll have to go through, and then how long it takes to be sure enough of the person to be willing to open yourself to them."

"Geez, I feel tired just listening to you." Lindsay's analysis of dating was more revealing than she probably realized. Lindsay was overly-cautious about dating but Shelly wasn't exactly sure why.

There was a commotion outside the door that prevented Shelly from gleaning more info from Lindsay and before they knew it the announcer was hastily thanking everyone for coming and politely asking everyone to leave but not panic due to a building emergency.

As Shelly and Lindsay were herded out of the room amidst much confusion Lindsay saw him. _Him_. The iPod guy. The gym guy. And now the Darfur guy. The momentum of the crowd prevented her from freezing in place from shock. Had she been looking in any other direction at any other time she would have missed him. He was jogging up the stairs and she didn't question why he would be doing that when everyone else was leaving. She was having trouble putting two coherent thoughts together. All she could think about was how she kept running into to this guy. It was just _weird_. It was karmic or cosmic. Or something. Lindsay shook her head to clear her mind and looked again at the now empty stairwell. Maybe she'd imagined him there. Lindsay couldn't wait until this Cosmo manhunt was over because she was pretty sure she was losing her mind.

* * *

A volleyball tournament was hot spot number four and had been the biggest failure to date. Shelly had not realized she'd signed them up for an advanced tournament so instead of dates and phone numbers all they had left with were sore bodies and distaste for people with extreme athletic enthusiasm. 

Lindsay was happy for the change of pace hot spot number five offered - a coffee shop. According to Cosmo, this crowd of business people and semi-eclectics would be thrilled to have women seek them out while sipping chai lattes and frappuccinos.

"What does it say about a guy if he knows the difference between a Grande and a Tall?" Lindsay asked.

"Very funny. Oh, I forgot to tell you. Apparently some guy was found dead at the Darfur coalition we were at last night."

"What? You're kidding."

"No, it was on the news this morning. They don't know any details yet but he was found on the roof of the building."

"Wow, that's crazy."

"That's what you have to look forward to. Are you excited to start at the lab?"

"I can't wait. It's what I've wanted for so long and I just want to get started."

"Are you expecting someone else?" Shelly asked, noticing Lindsay's constant glances around the room.

"Uh, no. Not at all." In reality, Lindsay kept expecting to see the ever-present but equally allusive Danny and ignored her absurd disappointment that she hadn't. "Shell, I think we've done our due diligence here. We've had a cup of coffee and been hit on by a couple of frat boys. I think some Ben & Jerry's and a 24 rerun are calling our names."

Shelly looked around the coffee shop one more time. Her plan wasn't panning out as she'd hoped. Ideally, by now, Lindsay would have met someone dateable but they kept coming up empty. And while she still could still sense Lindsay holding back when it came to men she did seem to enjoy herself at all these hot spots. Hopefully tomorrow's destination would be more fruitful.

"Alright," she conceded, "let's go."

Sitting on her couch with Shelly eating ice cream and watching TV, Lindsay thought about how hot spot number five left Shelly as far away from a husband, 1.5 kids, SUV, and golden retriever as she'd been when they'd started this man hunt. In reality, it made Lindsay feel like a failure and a bit depressed. When she left Montana the majority of her friends were married and some already had kids. And here she was, relying on Cosmo magazine to just find a decent date. It had been a year since her last serious relationship. Would it be that long again before she fell for someone again? Would she ever truly be able to fall for someone? How could she feel so alone in a city of millions? 

But Lindsay knew the answer to that question. Seeing her four best friends die in front of her eyes ten years ago had innately changed her. She learned to shut people out. Working with death and murder and crime everyday just reinforced how quickly and unfairly people you care about could be taken away. So, she didn't let people in easily. Lindsay thought it was safer that way - it was easy to let go when that time came. If she thought she could care about someone she tended to panic and run the other way.

"Are you happy, Shell?" Lindsay asked, seemingly out of nowhere.

Shelly glanced at Lindsay. "Happy? What do you mean? Right now?" She held up her spoon and container of Chunky Monkey, as if saying how could anyone not be happy with those two items.

"Happy with your life, with how it's going. Is this where you expected you would be?"

"Are you happy?" Shelly asked, the psychologist in her kicking in, sensing the question wasn't truly directed at her

Lindsay felt tears fill he eyes, surprising her. She tightened her lips against their sudden quivering.

"Oh, Linds," Shelly said as she put down her ice cream and pulled Lindsay into a hug. "I'm sorry. I've been putting so much pressure on us to find a man. Everything will happen when you're ready."

Lindsay looked down at her Cherry Garcia. "You think so?"

"Of course. Listen, you're a damn good CSI. That's what matters to you. That's why you moved to New York. Concentrate on that and we'll let the universe handle the rest in its own time. A boyfriend will come when we're ready. In the meantime, we have Kiefer Sutherland," Shelly said as she pointed to the TV screen where Jack Bauer was once again saving the day. Lindsay gave a small laugh, happy for the change of topic and mood and hopeful that Shelly was right.

* * *

Giving up on 'finding the right one' Shelly and Lindsay skipped hot spot number six - a steak house – but hit spot number seven, the trendiest New York bar, purely for a fun night out and agreed to not even think about men. That plan worked for about two minutes until Lindsay entered the crowded bar. 

There he was. The man of her dreams. Literally. This stranger had made multiple appearances in her dreams ever since she'd spotted him in The Apple Store. Lindsay hesitated by the entrance attempting to get her heart rate under control, hardly able to believe that he was there. Apart from the location he was exactly the same. Same jacket as a couple nights ago, same rugged good looks. Same gorgeous body. Same smile that made her go weak at the knees.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" asked Shelly, who recognized Flack and his friend from The Apple Store and noticed her friend's reaction to him was the same as it had been six days ago.

"What?"

"You couldn't be more obvious, the way you're looking at him."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lindsay said and quickly changed the topic. "What do you want to drink?"

Shelly smirked at her friend and let the conversation drop momentarily. Fortunately, it wasn't long before Danny and Flack settled into two stools at the bar and Shelly made her move. Quickly maneuvering around the crowd with Lindsay in tow before anyone else had the same idea, she slung her purse onto a stool next to Danny.

"Do you mind if we sit here?" she asked Danny, as if she had only just noticed that he was there. Danny looked up at them briefly and Lindsay was struck by how blue his eyes were. Simply gorgeous.

"Not at all," he said.

And a lovely voice - slightly raspy with an undeniable accent. Shelly lightly shoved Lindsay toward the stool next to Danny. Lindsay was extremely aware of Danny as he sat to her left, one arm slung casually over the back of his chair, the other holding his beer. She tried not to stare, but her eyes kept glancing toward him, to the line of his mouth, to those fascinating blue eyes.

Close up, he was even better looking than he had seemed from a distance. Now here she was, sitting only inches away from him, and he was so solid and so real and so attractive that she seemed to have lost her ability to speak. Shelly kept elbowing her and wagging her eyebrows, indicating she should say something.

Lindsay stole another look at him. Why was she so nervous? She'd certainly started conversations with plenty of other men in the past. Plus it's not anything would come of it. Telling herself to pull it together, Lindsay thought of something witty to say.

"Umm…crazy heat wave, huh?" she said, cringing inwardly at the banality of her question. _That's a girl, Lindsay_, _astound him with your sparkling conversational skills. _

Danny turned towards her and his blue eyes traveled up and down the entire length of Lindsay, appraising the woman who'd asked the question.

"Yeah," Danny said, and there was an undercurrent of amusement in his voice and a gleam in his eyes as they came back to her face. Several things struck him at once about Lindsay. The slight twang in her voice let him know that she wasn't a native New Yorker. She was very pretty. There was something rather ordinary yet exotic about her appearance. With jeans, simple blue tank top and hair loosely waved she didn't look like the usual girls he encountered at places like this who seemed to always be on the prowl. His occupation usually required him to make snap judgments about people – would he like them, what kind of person they were - but he couldn't quite pigeonhole her, and that intrigued him. Plus, she looked oddly familiar.

"Do you come here often?" he asked and then stopped with an embarrassed laugh. "Sorry, that sounds like the worst pick-up line in the world."

It was fine by Lindsay. He could say whatever he wanted as long as he kept on smiling like that.

"It's just that you look vaguely familiar," he said. "I'm wondering where I've seen you before."

_Probably ogling from shelves of iPods or gawking at the gym_, Lindsay thought to herself.

"Maybe we've passed each other before," she said vaguely, but at least it gave her an opening to be nosy. "Do you live around here?"

He nodded. "Just a few blocks away." He pointed casually in a northern direction.

"What about you?" he asked.

"Not too far from here either."

"I'm Danny," he said, and Lindsay had to stop herself from saying 'I know.'

"Lindsay," she said with a smile.

"You don't sound like you're originally from New York."

"Actually, I recently moved here from Montana."

"A country girl." Lindsay smiled at his teasing tone.

A few hours later, Danny and Lindsay had segregated from Shelly and Flack and each twosome was deeply engrossed in their own conversation. From a distance it appeared as if Danny and Lindsay were discussing the socio-economic ramifications of the current tax structure from their serious expressions but in actuality they were debating the talent of the most recent NFL draft pick. Lindsay had just proposed a bet to prove her stance.

"What do I get if I win?" Danny asked, more than impressed by Lindsay's sport knowledge – and by Lindsay in general. Their conversation had ranged from silly to serious and it didn't have that artificial, forced quality that he hated so much whenever he met a woman for the first time.

"A hundred bucks," Lindsay responded with the most obvious choice of money.

"And if I don't need your money?"

Lindsay was pretty sure he was flirting. "How about I buy you the best dinner in the city, complete with wine and dessert?" she offered.

"And will I have your company over dinner?"

"Sure, if you want it," she said breezily, as if the idea didn't make her heart skip a beat.

"Deal," he said, happy that he'd get a chance to see Lindsay again. He liked her - she was interesting and smart – and he wanted to know more.

Flack and Shelly interrupted them before Danny could segue their sealed deal into getting Lindsay's number.

"Shots all around," Flack exclaimed as he handed a small glass of tequila to Lindsay and Danny. He and Shelly were already holding their own.

"To new friends," Flack said, raising his glass in a toast. "May our friendship never fail, may we always be kind, I'll post your bail, if you post mine."

The night started to take on a blurry quality after that as the drinks continued to flow. It was after her most recent shot that it occurred to Lindsay that she could have a harmless fling with Danny. A one night stand. She'd never had one before but hadn't Shelly been saying she needed new experiences? Shelly and Flack had been shamelessly flirting all night, and neither seemed to mind the attention one bit. This would be the best of both worlds. She could get the physical satisfaction without the emotional entanglements of a relationship she just wasn't prepared for. Her whole life she followed the straight and narrow. For one night she could stop feeling nervous about her future and regretful about her past and just have some fun. Before she could give her plan any more thought Shelly dragged her onto the dance floor.

Gradually as the bar emptied out, the newly formed friends outlasted everyone. When last call was announced they finally made their way outside.

"Let's take this party to Danny's place," Flack slurred, holding Shelly by the elbow as she tripped over the curb attempting to hail a cab. "He's got a pool table in the middle of his apartment. Who does that?"

* * *

Lindsay tentatively opened one eye, then the other, awakening to darkness. She quickly sat upright attempting to get her bearings and fought a small wave of nausea at her sudden movement. The light from the street creeping in through the windows allowed her to see she was in the middle of a strange living room. Everything was unfamiliar. She looked to her side and saw Danny fast asleep next to her. On top of a pool table. 

Slowly the previous night streamed through her mind. Lindsay remembered the four of them spilling out of the taxi and climbing the six flights of stairs to Danny's place. She remembered playing a game of pool with Danny. She remembered Shelly and Flack leaving at some point and Shelly asking her if she was okay on her own. She remembered playing a second game of pool with Danny. She remembered their bodies brushing up against each other. Constantly. She remembered how suddenly, out of nowhere, they were kissing. She remembered their lips meeting again and again. Lindsay clearly remembered considering what she was doing. She remembered the exact moment when a one night stand with Danny went from idea to reality.

Lindsay cupped her face with her hands. There was probably a reason Cosmo hadn't listed a one night stand as a way to meet Mr. Right. Lindsay felt horrible, and her slight hangover was only a small factor. Lindsay was unprepared for the embarrassment she felt. What in the world had caused her to behave like this? She could list a million excuses, starting with her emotional state about her love life and ending with the way Danny had expertly kissed her.

_Don't think about it_, Lindsay admonished herself, as she lowered onto the ground careful not to wake Danny, and hastily put on her clothes. As far as he was concerned, she was totally anonymous. They'd skipped all the obligatory getting-to-know-you questions and she never told him her last name or where she worked. Only she would ever know about last night and she would forget about it. Starting now.

Danny had a habit of waking up early, no matter how late he'd stayed out the night before. His eyes slowly opened but he became fully awake when he realized he was alone in bed. Scratch that, he thought. On the pool table. Stretching out his hand, he touched the crumpled blanket to his side once occupied by Lindsay. Danny sat up and groggily surveyed the room. No clothes. No purse. No sign that she'd ever been there. For a second he questioned if he had imagined her. But he could remember their night together with absolute clarity. Every kiss. Every stroke of his fingers along her skin. Every throaty sound she'd uttered. His body tightened at the mere thought. No, she had been real. He was sure of that but unsure whether it made him feel better or worse now that she was gone.

Slinking off the pool table and into the bathroom Danny wondered why it bothered him so much that she had left. Had it been any other woman he probably wouldn't have given it a second thought. In fact, he was usually the one making the hasty retreat the morning after. But there was something about Lindsay, and her leaving, that had Danny experiencing contradictory urges to forget about her and brand her to memory. Deciding forgetting was easier, Danny stepped into the shower hoping it would help wash away the images of Lindsay that kept flashing through his mind.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**: A tremendous thank you for everyone who has read/reviewed! An even bigger thank you to **mel60** who beta's this.

* * *

"I want you to go with Danny to the three DOA's on the Brooklyn Bridge," Mac Taylor instructed after giving Lindsay a tour of the lab that had ended in her new office. It was her first day at the New York Crime Lab and Lindsay was filled with a nervous excitement.

"That'd be me, Danny Messer. How ya doing?" Danny asked as entered the office without looking up from his paperwork.

A familiar New York accent sent a ripple of awareness along Lindsay's nerves and she slowly turned toward the voice that just entered the room, afraid to see the face she suspected matched that voice. She held back a gasp when her worst fear was confirmed. Lindsay's breath hitched, her lungs forgetting how to function. Her heartbeat, on the other hand, went into overdrive. She was sure Mac was aware of the climate change that occurred in the small office the instant Danny stepped into the room, but thankfully he didn't say anything.

She did her best to ignore her reaction to the surprising, and unwelcome, presence of her new partner, her one night stand coming back to haunt her. Lindsay could feel Danny's penetrating gaze and she swallowed visibly before introducing herself as if she'd never met him before, grateful that her voice didn't come out like the hoarse croak she feared it would.

Lindsay had tried hard to erase the memory of Danny, but he seemed to have made an impact on her like no man ever had before. After leaving his apartment she'd taken a cab home and found Shelly and Flack sprawled on the living room couch, fully clothed, passed out. Lindsay took advantage of Shelly's fuzzy recollection of that night and denied staying over at Danny's. She felt bad lying to her friend but would feel worse having her friend pass judgment on her – she was doing plenty of that on her own. Lindsay never thought of herself as needy. She was too smart and discerning to have a one night stand. Apparently she was susceptible to mussed brown hair, piercing blue eyes, and New Yorker charm.

Pretending the night never happened proved to be a difficult feat. Shelly would ask about Danny, forcing Lindsay to respond with vague answers. Even one afternoon watching television, a character's brown hair and a mischievous grin resembled Danny's and she had to immediately switch channels, unwilling to have any reminder of the stranger she'd spent the night with, been intimate with, made love with. At night she tossed restlessly, squeezing her eyes tightly shut, trying to fend off the pleasurable memory of falling asleep in his arms on the pool table.

Sleeping with Danny had been a foolish thing to do but she had done it and would have to come to terms with it. Work had always been her salvation and she looked forward to focusing on evidence, witnesses and suspects instead of Danny. But even that plan had come to a screeching halt.

Lindsay fiddled with her kit after Mac left, leaving her and Danny alone. She could feel her emotions stirring – embarrassment, irrational anger that he had the nerve to work at the lab - but she tried to keep her face as blank as possible. There was plenty of time to be mortified later.

Danny's whole body tensed the instant he turned the corner into the office and saw Lindsay. A jumble of thoughts raced through his mind about what she was doing there – had she sought him out, was she involved in a case? The last thing he expected to come out of Mac's mouth was the she was his new partner. Danny couldn't believe he'd found her. Well, he hadn't found her exactly. More like crazy circumstances had reunited them. He had to stop himself from reaching out and touching her to make sure she wasn't a mirage. He knew he could have found her through Flack by way of Shelly if he really wanted to, but it had irked him that she'd left, that the interest wasn't mutual. Not that he hadn't picked up his phone several times to call Flack to get information. Not that he hadn't talked himself out of it each time. Why pursue someone who would rather leave in the dead of the night than wake up with you? Now though, with Lindsay in front of him again, his appetite was reawakened.

Lindsay didn't look thrilled to see him. Too bad. Their attraction had obviously been mutual, but he thought it went deeper than that. He had no idea what he'd done to make her run, but whatever it was, he was determined to set things right. They'd talked in the bar for hours and even though he didn't know her last name until just a few seconds ago he felt like he'd known her forever. He hadn't invited Lindsay into his apartment with the intention of sleeping with her. He'd only wanted to prolong the night, hang out with her awhile longer. It wasn't entirely his fault that it hadn't worked out that way. He couldn't be blamed for the way he reacted to her silky brown hair or inviting lips. And she'd been so soft and responsive and willing.

"We should get to the scene," Lindsay said as she moved to walk around him, applauding herself for coming off calm and collected. Danny grabbed her arm to stop her retreat. His proximity and warm, male scent brought erotic memories rushing to the surface that Lindsay was desperately trying to forget.

"Can we talk?" he asked.

The initial shock of seeing Danny was wearing off and she was gradually regaining her composure. Danny was right, they needed to talk. If they were going to work together they were going to need to clear the air.

"Why did you leave?" he asked, his question needing no elaboration.

Lindsay gulped and resisted the urge to bury her face in her hands. She didn't want to talk about their night together. She'd gone to the bar feeling lonely and Danny had offered a night of pure, sensual pleasure to make it go away - at least temporarily. Why had that seemed like such a good idea at the time?

"I…" She had no idea what to say. "Look, Danny, we had a great time but let's just leave it at that, all right?"

His eyes narrowed and she knew he didn't like that answer. She wished things weren't so complicated.

"Danny, Lindsay, get going," Mac's voice carried from down the hall, interrupting their stare down. "There's a hell of a traffic jam on the bridge and it's going to stay that way until you process it."

Grateful for the reprieve, Lindsay practically sprinted down the hallway. Seeing Danny had affected her more than she liked to admit. She was usually good at masking her feelings but Danny had clearly rattled her. Hopefully her co-workers dismissed her jitters as first-day-on-the-job nerves and she vowed to be tougher from then on.

* * *

After a week of working with Lindsay Monroe, Danny was on the verge of going stark raving mad. His mood was foul and patience short. All because of Lindsay Monroe. They had kept up their pretense of professionalism but their night together thickened the air between them. Lindsay was always near, but so distant. Working closely with him on cases but otherwise avoiding him. He tried convincing himself that the only reason he couldn't stop thinking about her was because she didn't want him but he knew that rationalization wasn't true. They'd shared long stares across the lab, which Lindsay usually broke first, but not before he saw confusion and anticipation in her eyes, which he knew matched his own. He understood what he was confused about – why Lindsay was acting like their night together was no big deal. He knew what he was waiting for – her change of heart. The problem, however, was Lindsay. He couldn't figure her out.

Seeing the object of his frustration in the hallway Danny decided he couldn't delay dealing with her any longer. He grabbed Lindsay by the arm, ignoring her protests and resistance, and propelled her into an empty conference room. Shutting the door behind them he pulled her close and captured her mouth in a startling kiss. Instantly, desire flared, hot and quick. His hands slid along her sides and Lindsay helplessly clutched his shoulders. He stepped closer into her, pushing her back against the door, increasing the pressure of his lips on hers.

Lindsay momentarily broke their kiss, "What are you doing…we shouldn't do this," she managed to rasp.

Danny, however, had a week's worth of frustration to expel and wouldn't be deterred. He kissed her again, this time raking his fingers through her hair and trailing kisses along her neck. Her skin was just as soft and smooth as he'd remembered. Lindsay stopped protesting and instead angled her body closer to his, wanting more, unable to resist. Conversations making their way from the hallway into the room suddenly brought Lindsay to her senses and she forcefully pushed Danny away.

"What are you doing? Are you nuts? I want you to leave me alone," she said, raising a hand to her lips, touching them lightly.

"Really? You could have fooled me. I'd swear you enjoyed that as much as I did." He crossed his arms over his chest. Danny took some pleasure from Lindsay's obvious discomfort. If she was as indifferent as she wanted him to believe then she wouldn't have reacted so strongly to him. When Lindsay remained silent he continued, "Oh, I get it. You're running away again."

"I'm not running from anything," Lindsay scoffed.

"Yes you are, but what?" He leaned close and it took all her strength not to prove him right by bolting for the door. "All I want is dinner. Some drinks. Both of which you owe me, by the way, if I remember our bet correctly."

Lindsay hesitated meeting Danny's intense gaze. "I wasn't supposed to see you again," she blurted, needing to tell him how she felt. "You were supposed to be a fling."

Confusion flashed in his eyes. Lindsay didn't seem to be a one night stand type of girl. "A fling."

"Yes." A wave of relief washed over her. Now he knew. She slipped around him and made a beeline for the door. Before she could open it, Danny reached beyond her shoulder and flattened his hand against it.

Without turning around Lindsay said, "What happened between us was a fluke, a one time thing. Let's just forget it ever happened." Lindsay didn't fully believe in her own words as she said them but avoiding things that were too emotional was her modus operandi and there were all kinds of emotions boiling inside her right now that she didn't know how to deal with – frustration, embarrassment, desire. Plus, she wasn't ready for the dinner and drinks Danny was offering that she knew meant starting a relationship.

"Sorry. That doesn't work for me. You were more than just a one night stand to me."

Lindsay was stunned by his honesty.

Danny leaned closer into her back and said, "Listen, the night we met you didn't know me, and I didn't know you, but we clicked."

She couldn't lie to him. Not when their night together was forever seared into her memory. "I know."

"So why not just act on it, see where it goes."

Stated so simply, her reasons for pushing him away did seem a bit lame. Confused, she shook her head. "I don't know."

Danny's pager shrilled loudly, making Lindsay jump. "Damn," he muttered softly. "I have to go. We'll talk soon," he promised as he left the room.

* * *

Later that evening, Lindsay had a desk full of case work but she was having trouble concentrating on anything except her encounter with Danny. Hours later she was still rattled by it. She didn't like the fact that his kiss was as amazing as she'd remembered or how her body had reacted. Or that he was constantly in her thoughts. Or that her plan for Danny to be a harmless fling wasn't working out. She also didn't like the small voice in the back of her mind telling her there was something more between them than a one night stand.

She distractedly stared outside her office windows into the city landscape. Feeling suffocated in her office, Lindsay decided to go for a run. She didn't live very far, and could run home. The exercise would be refreshing and she welcomed the clarity an invigorating jog would brought. She embraced the cool night air as she started her run. By the time she reached her apartment her lungs, heart and legs were aching pleasurably from the exertion.

Not until she almost stepped on his boots did Lindsay notice him, making her head snap up. Danny. Sitting on her stoop, half reclining, elbows relaxed against the stairs and legs stretched out in front of him. Even in the darkness, his eyes shone a bright blue. His gaze locked on hers and it was unsettling. Seconds passed while they stared. Lindsay could remember things about him, small things like the scar on his lower back, that only a lover would know, but at the same time he was a stranger to her. It had been foolish to think she could leave unscathed from her experience with him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked Danny.

"I said we would talk again, so here I am."

His casualness irritated Lindsay. "Please leave."

"I can't. I don't have what I want yet."

"What _do_ you want? For me to just jump into bed with you again?" Lindsay started to get angry, frustrated at Danny's stubbornness. "I don't make it a habit of sleeping with men I don't know and I'm sorry if I'm not dealing with this post-one night stand awkwardness the way you want. You know what I think is really bothering you? I walked out on you and not the other way around. Your ego is bruised."

Danny had to admit a small amount of truth to her statement. But the full truth was that he felt Lindsay slipping through his fingers and he didn't know how to convince her that his feelings were real. He wasn't even exactly sure what his feelings were. All he knew is that they were intense enough to make him wait on her stoop for three hours.

"You're wrong," Danny said.

"I want you to leave. Please leave."

"Yeah. You keep saying that but you haven't convinced me yet. I'm not sure you've convinced yourself."

Danny's insight hit a little to close too home and Lindsay stormed by him.

"Lindsay," he continued. "Forget about how we met. Just think about how it was when we were together." With that, Danny left Lindsay standing speechless on her stoop. When she finally managed to make it up to her apartment she found Shelly waiting for her outside her door with a metal trash can and lighter in hand.

"What are you doing?" Lindsay asked.

"An exorcism."

"What are you talking about?" Lindsay was utterly confused.

"Let's go inside." Shelly made a beeline for Lindsay's fire escape window as soon as Lindsay opened the door and climbed onto the platform. "Come out here, Linds."

Lindsay poked her head out the window but hesitated. Shelly was full of crazy ideas but this one looked like the craziest one yet.

"Come on," Shelly insisted. "What is this?" Shelly asked when Lindsay finally joined her. Lindsay took the magazine Shelly had pulled from the trash can.

"It's that Cosmo magazine with the article on finding Mr. Right."

"Exactly. And what is this?"

"A lighter," Lindsay said slowly, identifying the object she was now holding, unsure of where this was headed.

"Right again. I need you to take this lighter and set the magazine on fire."

"What?!"

"Look. Listening to this article's advice was the stupidest idea I've ever had. All I know is that ever since we went on that silly man hunt you haven't been yourself and I feel like it's my fault. There's no reason you should be worried about being at the right hot spots to find the right guy." Shelly practically sneered the words 'hot spots'. "It'll happen when it's supposed to. And I'm sorry for putting pressure on you. So you're going to burn that magazine as a symbol of being the fine, fierce woman you are who doesn't need any article to do anything. And I promise to never let these crazy articles brainwash me again."

Shelly felt better now that she'd finally gotten that off her chest. The day after hitting the last hot spot Shelly started seeing less and less of Lindsay. She knew Lindsay was busy with her new job but feared Lindsay's withdrawal was more personal. Shelly knew she could be a bit over the top and forceful and maybe it had become too much for Lindsay. Shelly was still learning a lot about her neighbor - most importantly how she kept things bottled up and how good she was at putting up walls. Shelly never wanted to be a cause of any of those walls or bottled up feelings and in typical Shelly fashion this was her solution.

Lindsay was caught off guard by Shelly's rant. She also felt a little bad. She had been avoiding Shelly since their last night at the bar but it was only because Lindsay didn't know how to talk to her about what she'd done, what she was feeling. It was embarrassing and therefore easier to avoid the situation altogether. Bu so many other parts of Lindsay's life were complicated she wasn't ready to let Shelly fall into that category.

"Give me the lighter," Lindsay said. After a few tries she managed to set the corner on fire. They watched the pages curl and blacken, small pieces floating away in the wind. When the flame started to engulf the entire magazine Lindsay dropped it into the pail and leaned against the building in silence, watching it burn until nothing was left of the magazine except ash.

Afterwards, back inside the apartment, Lindsay spilled her guts. She told Shelly everything – from sleeping with Danny to the death of her friends. The cried, they laughed. They looked through Lindsay's old photo albums and ate too much ice cream. At the end of the night Lindsay felt drained but satisfied. Whatever Shelly's intentions had been by burning the magazine, it had been cathartic. Whether it was because Shelly was a psychologist or simply a great friend or a little bit of both, talking to her had helped Lindsay lift a tremendous weight off her shoulders that she hadn't even realized she'd been carrying. Talking to Shelly, the first person Lindsay had ever opened up to like this, made Lindsay realize how often she shut people out and that not letting people in was not necessarily the best way to deal. She realized she had no reason to keep anything from Shelly who hadn't judged her or questioned her. For the first time in awhile Lindsay slept soundly, with a resolve to uncomplicate all aspects of her life.

* * *

The next night when Lindsay found Danny on her steps again she almost expected him.

"Hi," she said.

"Hey."

Lindsay just stared at him for a moment. She'd done a lot of thinking the past twenty four hours, received a lot of advice from Shelly. And she'd come to an important understanding. Since the night she had spent with Danny, she had asked herself a million times how she could have done such a stupid thing. But the more time she spent with him the more reasonable the explanation became. No woman could resist that smile, his thoughtfulness, his charm. There was no shame in falling for a guy like Danny, no matter how it happened. So, she had vowed to make things right between them and that had her smiling all day. But fixing things with Danny was only a small part. Lindsay had a new outlook on life as a whole and she was no longer going to run from her fears.

"Are you hungry?" Lindsay asked, holding up the bags of Chinese she'd picked up on the way home.

Danny was dumbfounded. Was she actually inviting him in? For a meal? He'd expected her to slam the door in his face but came anyway because he'd developed a strange obsession with her and felt this primal urge to fight for her.

"Actually, yeah."

"Come in," Lindsay said, leading him up to her apartment.

Mystified by Lindsay's change in attitude, Danny peeled off his jacket and watched her as she set the table and placed the containers of lo mein and orange chicken in the microwave. Lindsay motioned for Danny to sit once the microwave beeped and passed him a beer from the fridge. They each had a few bites before Lindsay finally broke their silence.

"It's not exactly the best meal in the city but I always make good on my bets."

Danny smiled, remembering her end of the deal they'd made at the bar. Danny wanted to ask Lindsay what made her change her mind about him but he was afraid to disrupt their tenuous détente. So, instead, he gratefully accepted it without question.

"I could easily be the one paying up. With a different defense he could have run for two hundred yards," Danny said, referring to the player they'd bet on.

"You're just being nice so that you can get dessert," she teased, knowing she had lost the bet soundly. "I guess you can't ever really predict how people will react to different situations." She was no longer talking about the running back.

"Yeah. Things have a funny way of working out, don't they?" Danny didn't need an answer. His day couldn't have turned out any better.

Lindsay smiled at Danny. Sharing this meal with him made her feel happy. That's all she ever really wanted. Happiness – in whatever form it would take. Maybe she wasn't ready for Mr. Right, or maybe she was. Maybe Danny was that guy, or maybe he wasn't. Either way, she would find out in time. Either way, she was going to be all right.


End file.
